I suppose what makes me unlike the paranoid (mostly) Republicans in Congress is that my ignorance of Spanish doesn't make me afraid of Mexicans. Or of immigrants in general. Or of the idea that this is a nation of immigrants.

What I can't get past is the idea that those who want to pack up illegal aliens and bus them back to Mexico are acting on their racist attitudes. (For one, who says they're all from Mexico? Does trucking them to any country with "brown people" suffice?)

Of course, it doesn't help when the Spanish version rewrites the sentiments:

Called "Nuestro Himno" -- "Our Anthem" -- the Spanish version rewrites some of the English version. For instance, the second stanza says, "My people keep fighting. It's time to break the chains."
Is this why the bigot-hearted are calling it the "Illegal Immigrant Anthem"?

So Spanish-language artists have done this new version. Who cares? Why not? Here, I agree with Condi:

"I've heard the national anthem done in rap versions, country versions, classical versions. The individualization of the American national anthem is quite under way," she said on the CBS show "Face the Nation."

"From my point of view, people expressing themselves as wanting to be Americans is a good thing," she added. "I think what we need to focus on is an immigration policy that is comprehensive and that recognizes our laws and recognizes our humanity."
Still, the fearful, anal-retentive cultural martinets rave and rave: